BOFURI: I Don't Want to Get Hurt, so I'll Max Out My Defense (Volume 1) - Extreme Build

Kaede has been convinced to join NewWorld Online, a VRMMORPG. She’s got no gaming experience, which results in an unusual character build. However, her unconventional approach has yielded some unexpected results.

BOFURI: I Don’t Want to Get Hurt, so I’ll Max Out My Defense (Volume 1) – Extreme Build

What happened?

Kaede reluctantly agreed to play NewWorld Online with her best friend Arisa. However, Arisa was forbidden from playing until she had completed her exams. That left Kaede to enter the game alone and work things out. It’s worth pointing out that Kaede has no gaming experience and as such, she assumed that she might feel pain. That led Kaede to equip Maple (her online avatar) with max vitality and nothing else.

With no agility, her speed was next to nothing. She had no attack stats or skills. Rather than wander around the starter village, Maple headed into the forest where she was attacked by a bunny. It didn’t hurt. What’s more, it didn’t do any damage. Maple allowed the bunny to keep trying, but it soon died of exhaustion, which gave Maple some new skills. Surprised at the result, she decided to try some more things out.

Before long, Maple had acquired a number of new skills and was ready to take on a dungeon. Thanks to her unusual build, Maple defeated the boss, a Hyrda by eating it. As the first person to defeat the dungeon boss solo on their first attempt, she was gifted a one-of-a-kind equipment set that just added to her invincibility. By the time Arisa was ready to play, Maple had finished third in an event and was now being watched as one of the overpowered players in the game.

Bofuri Volume 1 Maple uses her hydra skill

What did you think?

I adored the first season of the anime when it came out and now that the second season is well underway too, I figured it was time to dive into the manga too. Seriously, there’s no way to overdose on Maple. This book was everything the anime was and more. They are able to give more details on how she acquired the skills and what they can do. Some of it was covered in the anime, but it’s nice to get more. The one notable change was that instead of the developers discussing Maple’s rise, it was a group of players that had decided they would protect Maple.

Honestly, that felt a little creepy. It was like they were all watching her and talking about her behind her back. I preferred the developers trying to nerf her powers and eventually giving up to see what she’s doing next. Anyhow, the series is amazing and the manga just keeps that trend going. There are currently five volumes available at my library so you can bet I’ll be getting to them all sooner or later.